KIEV, March 5 (Reuters) - A U.N. special envoy was forced to abandon a mission to Ukraine's Crimea region on Wednesday after being stopped by armed men and sheltering in a cafe, a reporter for Britain's ITN television said.

James Mates said envoy Robert Serry was trapped inside the coffee shop by a hostile pro-Russian crowd. When the envoy agreed to end his diplomatic mission, he was escorted to a car to the airport by police through a crowd shouting "Putin! Putin!"

Crimea is under control of Russian forces. (Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)